Special Bulletin
Please send this on to any Vets you know in Spokane, Washington that would be willing
to volunteer for this. Please also promote similar action in the area where you live. Our veterans deserve no less from the countrymen they served.
If you know me, you know that much of my life is dedicated to helping veterans. For the past two years, I've been involved in the Spokane Veterans Forum. I think you'll relate to what we do:
In most cities, many vets who get into fights or drive after having a few beers are reacting in response to PTSD or Traumatic Brain Injury. They are sent to mainstream court and sentenced as though they're common criminals. How's that for a big Welcome Home? Not.
In Spokane County, two forward thinking judges (both veterans) realized that there was a problem and they sought to solve it. Thus the Spokane Veterans Court was born. And to support the veterans coming through the court, the Spokane Veterans Forum was born. The Forum is a network of veterans and Gold Star Mothers who help vets get their lives back on track. Here are a few facts:
- The Forum is based on Mentor/Mentee relationships, each defendant gets a
Mentor who helps him or her work through the System and get whatever community
support might be useful.
- There is a monthly Forum meeting that includes one or two training sessions. One of our regular trainers is Dr. Anna Marie Medina, Chair of the Gonzaga Psychology Department.
- The Forum is EXTREMELY effective. We have close to a 100% success rate with
the vets we help.
- We are also the ONLY (therapeutic) Veterans Forum in the country! And, we serve as THE model of how a Veterans Forum should be organized.
- We have a pretty high profile. Our next Forum will have Mayor Condon and City Attorney Nancy Isserli. Cathy McMorris-Rogers will be at one in the near future.
Semper Fi,
Mike (AKA Psycho)--
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